You both mention potassium which reminds me of a question. (sorry a little off topic). I remember reading a number of diabetics saying they thought it was important to take potassium supplements but can’t remember why. Does anyone take potassium regularly and if so, why?
Zero. I have proactively gone to the ER for fluids a few times, while sick… but I wasn’t running dangerously high BG’s and I wasn’t to the point where I think they could have or would have called it even close to DKA. Dehydrated, yes, DKA, no.
I will have had T1 for 10 years this September… I was diagnosed “on accident” so I never experienced DKA even in the beginning.
Yup you cursed yourself Cara. Were do you want me to send your Get Well card? :}
Injected insulin can cause potassium deficiency. It’s something that should be tested, but I’ve never had this done. There are symptoms of potassium deficiency.
People can get adequate potassium from their diet. Too much potassium supplementation throws off the balance of other minerals.
Thanks, Gerri. I’ll google it to see what the symptoms are. I remember reading something that I was concerned about. Also what foods give it to you. I know bananas but I can only eat 1/2 large banana now and then. I’ve never been big on supplements, figuring I did get what I needed from my diet, but my diet has gotten more restricted these days so who knows.
I’ve only had it once at diagnosis, it was so bad that if I would have waited until morning it would have been too late, i would have passed away in my sleep. That was 16 1/2 months ago.
I was diagnosed 31 years ago. DKA once - in college about 18 years ago, went to a birthday lunch had alcohol, burgers, cake - everything put in front of me. Went to different person’s birthday party for dinner - had alcohol, steak, potatoes, cake - everything that was put in front of me.
My poor roommate had to rush me to the hospital at 3 am.
Wow, I had no idea it could happen that fast! I thought it was prolonged super high numbers that caused it, not just one day! This has been a useful thread because several of you who were DKA at some time other than diagnosis have mentioned infections. I always wondered why people always seem concerned if they are sick. I’m rarely sick but now I know to really keep an eye on it if I am! That is one experience I would love to miss out on!
I was in college - I think that day was the icing on the cake (no pun intended). But, I worked very hard to deserve it!
I understand, TS. I don’t even want to think about what would have happened if I’d been diagnosed when I was college age. I either would have died or made some serious changes fast!
Diabetic for 36 years, don’t know if I’ve ever had a DKA episode. I was hospitalized when first diagnosed and was probably DKA then (which makes sense since my BG was almost 700)). My eyesight had gone, drinking and peeing constantly and tired. I’ve been taken to the emergency room maybe 4 times because of lows but never because of the other. I have never checked for Ketones, although I think in the olden days when all I did was check my urine and compare it to a color chart, that may have been ketones.
I am 26, have had type 1 since 14. Experienced DKa 3x that I can remember. Worst pain I’ve ever experienced. Was brought on by intense emotional stress and another time by a malfunctioning pump.
I know I sound horrible, but too many to count! I would go into DKA every time I got sick in the winter from when I was 12 until I was 14. When I finally got my tonsils taken out I stopped getting DKA. Only had it once since, due to a pump failure in the night
50 years. Never.
Never, not even at diagnosis 5 1/2 years ago. Now, looking back, and with the realization of just what was happening at that time (I did not have a clue), I know I was lucky to have diagnosed as quickly as I was, within a few days of the actual onset. I had originally gone to the doctor for what turned out to be pneumonia and it was dx by the blood test as my bg was 33/594, and it was dx as T1 right away.
I went through a terrible destructive phase as a teenager after my dad died. Over a few years, maybe about five I was in DKA about four times and hospitalised. It really is a horrible experience. I nearly died once, never want to go through it again.
In 21 years of diabetes my only DKA experience was at diagnosis.
Although I had BG in the 500’s, high ketones, and was peeing non-stop at diagnosis, I don’t think that I was in DKA. I was hospitalized for a week as was common in 1976, but I was never in the ICU.
I’ve always wondered how long it would take me to get to DKA with a total pump malfunction. When I have a bad site, I feel nauseous in 3-4 hours if I’m getting absolutely no insulin. I’ve never gone longer than that without some insulin, so it’s unknown territory. Hope to never find out.
37 years since diagnosis, never DKA, it was called mild ketosis when I was first diagnosed.
Diagnosed in '74, but didn't have DKA. Two episodes followed, one in '83 and one in 96. Both took a very long time to recover from and most definitely coulnd have been prevented.